title: Blood donor iron status: are we bleeding them dry?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This review examines the recent research on the prevalence, determinants and importance of low iron in blood donors, and on the efforts to reduce or prevent iron depletion in donor populations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Female donors, especially younger women, are at highest risk for donation-induced low iron, but menopausal women and high-frequency donors of both sexes also face considerable risk for iron depletion. Predonation screening for hemoglobin contributes little information on donor iron status. Consumption of supplemental iron is helpful in preventing or reversing low iron, and waiting longer between donations also facilitates the recovery of the iron lost through donation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the impact of phlebotomy-related iron depletion on donor health requires better documentation, measures are available now that can be deployed on a targeted or standardized basis. Blood centers, regulators, and donors should continue to evaluate different approaches for addressing this problem, with the likely outcome that no single measure is optimal for maintaining adequate collections while safeguarding donor health.
authors.affiliation: American Red Cross, New England Region, Dedham, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Bryan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Spencer
mesh_terms: D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D001782:Blood Donors; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D006441:Hemoglobin A / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018962:Phlebotomy / Q000009:adverse effects; D012016:Reference Values; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D005293:Ferritins; D006441:Hemoglobin A